Care Manager

Size limits to build at Beach Cities Health District will not go to voters yet. July 17, 2026 by Garth Meyer, Easy Reader Building limits for the Beach Cities Health District will not go on a ballot in November. The Redondo Beach city council voted Tuesday to keep the district's campus, and similar Public-Institutional zones, separate from a decision on other parts of the city. "Public-Institutional" refers to properties such as school sites, the city hall complex and the BCHD's 11-acre hilltop land, which is subject to be redeveloped beginning next year. On the table is a proposal by Sunrise Senior Living to build a 217-unit assisted living building once the existing 1960 former South Bay Hospital is torn down. Whether or not Sunrise's plan should be permitted is subject to city rules, namely Floor Area Ratio (FAR) - how large of a building is allowed to be built on what lots in the city. As is, the Beach Cities Health District land has no set limits. If limits are to be established, they would need to go before voters. City Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., made the motion July 14 to wait on any limits for Public-Institutional. The motion passed 5-0. "You're not going to veto it, mayor?" Obagi asked. "Uh, no," said Mayor Jim Light. "I think we gave the people what they wanted." FAR means, for example, a limit of 1.0 would allow a developer to build a 1,000 square foot building on a 1,000 square foot lot. A limit of 5.0 means 5,000 square feet would be permitted (multiple stories). A 1.0 FAR could also translate to a two-story building on half of the lot or a four-story building on a quarter of the lot. The question of whether to set an FAR for Public-Institutional is now on pause, until the council decides to put it on a ballot, or not. "(The decision) maintains the status of our current General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, which do not specify a limit, and leaves it to the discretion of the decision-making body (i.e. Planning Commission)." Marc Wiener, community development director, told Easy Reader. The matter first came up as part of the city's General Plan update, a years-long effort to revise a document from 1992. The 27-member committee worked from 2017-24, making no recommendation to put a FAR limit on Public-Institutional zones. This January, the city council directed staff to study potential impacts of a 1.25 FAR on the BCHD campus. At the July 7 council meeting, former councilmember Todd Loewenstein spoke in public comment, calling for something smaller. "A project at 1.25 FAR (on the BCHD campus) could be one of the largest in Redondo Beach's history," said the eight-year councilman, who termed-out in District Two last year. Loewenstein noted that a 1.25 limit could allow up to 240 units to be built on the campus; more than twice that of Eddy Redondo, an apartment and commercial project which opened last year on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Palos Verdes Blvd. "1.25 could be bigger in square footage than the Sonesta Hotel (on the waterfront)," Loewenstein continued. "... Your constituents must have a say in what goes at a public site." He asked the council to consider a FAR of .75, in a separate ballot measure to come. Tom Bakaly, Beach Cities Health District chief executive, told the council the same night that Sunrise would likely bow out of its proposed development deal if the FAR for the campus is (less than 1.25). Public comment largely called for a lower FAR. "Stay with .75. We don't want increased density on public land," said one caller. Any adjustment to city zoning deemed a "major change" has to be approved by voters. This is defined as a change which could add 150 more vehicle trips per day in mornings and peak hours. Bakaly said BCHD supported Obagi's motion. "Spot zoning, it's wrong, it's illegal," said Mark Nelson, leader of STOPBCHD, a neighborhood group which opposes what it deems as overdevelopment plans for the campus. After the city council's January request for staff to study a 1.25 FAR for the BCHD land, city staff concluded it would have no significant environmental impacts. The BCHD campus' current buildings add up to FAR of .77. Last September, the Planning Commission advised the council to set a FAR of .5 for all Public-Institutional land, except for city hall, police headquarters and the police annex, which would have a FAR of 1.25. "BCHD has advocated that any FAR for Public-Institutional use throughout the city should be uniformly applied, as it is today," Bakaly told Easy Reader. He noted that more details on the Sunrise plan should arrive this fall. "BCHD's decision to proceed with Sunrise Senior Living for the campus redevelopment is separate from the broader discussion about the city's General Plan," he said. "It is important to keep these issues distinct because General Plan land-use and any density decisions should not be based on any single project." With or without a FAR for a given zone, the Planning Commission is who approves or denies city building projects. Their rulings may be appealed to the city council.

Sunrise Senior Living Care Manager honored with prestigious Argentum Hero Award. May 19, 2026, 08:34 ET MCLEAN, Va., May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Sunrise Senior Living today announced that Maria "Laly" Salais, Care Manager at Sunrise at Cherry Creek, Colorado, has been named a recipient of an Argentum Hero Award in the Heart of Service category, a national honor celebrating a team member whose long-term dedication and compassion have positively influenced residents, teams and the community at large. Salais' recognition reflects Sunrise Senior Living's commitment to personalized, resident-centered care. Team members like Salais bring this commitment to life each day through meaningful relationships with residents and families, creating a sense of trust, connection and support across every resident experience. "Caregivers like Laly are the reason families place their trust in Sunrise," said Robyn Burns, vice president, Head of Field Operations at Sunrise Senior Living. "For nearly 25 years, she has met some of life's most difficult moments with patience, respect and unwavering compassion - helping residents maintain their dignity and giving families comfort during deeply emotional journeys. Laly truly defines what it means to serve from the heart." Presented by Argentum, the leading national trade association representing senior living providers, the Hero Awards celebrates professionals who make a meaningful difference for residents, families and team members across the country. Salais joined Sunrise in 2002 and has supported hundreds of residents over nearly 25 years with a consistent, compassionate approach. Often described as the "heartbeat" of Sunrise at Cherry Creek, she has built deep, lasting relationships with residents and families by taking the time to understand each resident's needs, preferences, and life story. Team members often describe Salais as a calm, gentle presence who meets residents with empathy and patience, often sitting beside them, listening without rushing, and acknowledging their feelings so that they feel heard and understood. Through both daily care and simple, thoughtful gestures, she helps transform everyday moments into ones of comfort, calm, and dignity. Honorees of the Argentum Hero Awards are selected from a competitive national field based on their demonstrated leadership, service and lasting impact within senior living communities. About Sunrise Senior Living Founded in 1981, Sunrise Senior Living is credited with establishing the modern era of senior living. Each Sunrise community is dedicated to delivering a personalized approach to senior living where every aspect of the services and environment is built around the specific wants and needs of the individual seniors that call the community home. From purposefully created and thoughtful design, to engaging programming and lifestyle activities and best-in-class quality of care that evolves with the needs of each senior, Sunrise's industry-leading innovation is built upon its mission to champion quality of life for all seniors. Celebrating 40 years, Sunrise operates more than 240 communities in the United States and Canada serving more than 20,000 residents. With more than 20,000 highly trained team members, Sunrise offers a full range of personalized services, including independent living, assisted living, care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, as well as nursing and rehabilitative services. SOURCE Sunrise Senior Living

Sunrise Senior Living signs Letter of Intent with BCHD for redevelopment of Redondo Beach campus. March 20, 2026 Senior Residential Facilities become focus of campus redevelopment, with new amenities, supporting community health programs in the Beach Cities REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (March 20, 2026) - Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) and Sunrise Senior Living (Sunrise) have signed a Letter of Intent to pursue a ground lease for the redevelopment of the former South Bay Hospital site at 514 North Prospect Avenue in Redondo Beach. BCHD started to look at redeveloping the former South Bay Hospital site to address seismic safety concerns and to create a long-term, stable source of revenue to support its free and low-cost health programs and services for the community. The proposed project includes new residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE), offering up to 217 units of memory care, assisted living and independent living, along with a range of community focused amenities, including publicly-accessible green space, a walking loop, wellness programming, a multi-purpose community room and more. Final project details will be determined as BCHD and Sunrise work toward finalizing the ground lease. The process for BCHD's Letter of Intent with Sunrise began last November, when the BCHD Board granted CEO Tom Bakaly the authority to negotiate with three developers, with the goal of having a signed letter within six months. Last year, BCHD established an Advisory Working Group, comprised of residents, staff and a BCHD Board Member, to review submissions, and they narrowed the original field of 12 submissions to the three finalists. A subsequent round of review and financial analysis by the working group was completed earlier this month, and deemed the Sunrise proposal to now be the best fit with BCHD's mission and the project's guiding pillars of health, livability and community, while also being seen as the most likely plan to succeed. "The Advisory Working Group has spent many, many hours going through proposals and making sure they align with our criteria," said Bakaly. "They have worked hard to ensure the plan addresses the seismic issues with the current building, while being prepared to meet our community's health needs well into the future." BCHD's plans for a ground lease model will keep the land publicly owned while partnering with Sunrise to bring a RCFE and other health-related services to its campus. This proven approach has successfully generated revenue for BCHD programs and services for 55 years, creating sustainable funding to support health and wellness programs and ensuring the campus continues to serve the community for years to come. "Sunrise Senior Living is proud to have partnered with Beach Cities Health District for more than 25 years, and we're excited to continue building on that strong foundation," said Philip Kroskin, Head of Real Estate for Sunrise. "Together, we share a commitment to supporting healthier, more connected communities, and we look forward to expanding that impact through a thoughtfully designed environment that supports senior wellness and engagement." Bakaly executed the non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Sunrise on March 18. That LOI has an expiration date of May 29 of this year. The health district is preparing an addendum to the project's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that summarizes the revised project in the context of the plan that was evaluated in the EIR, which was completed and approved in 2021. Since this revised project is smaller and shorter in duration than what was evaluated in the EIR, new or more severe environmental impacts are not expected. The Letter of Intent with Sunrise will be an informational item at the next BCHD Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. At its May meeting, the BCHD Board is expected to formally review the LOI and consider approving a land lease agreement with Sunrise. If the lease agreement is approved, BCHD will provide Silverado - which currently operates a memory care facility on BCHD's campus - with one year's notice to vacate the building. As a condition of that notice and consistent with Silverado's current lease, there will be no lease payments paid by Silverado to BCHD for one year. This transition period is included in the lease to ensure families would have sufficient time to relocate should the lease end. "We are proud of our partnership with Silverado over the 20 years and will continue to collaborate closely during this transition," said Bakaly. "Residents and their families will have a year to explore their options, and our Community Services team will be available to support Silverado residents through the process and serve as a resource for families." BCHD Campus Redevelopment Features: * The proposal reflects responsiveness to community feedback related to building height, density, open space and accessibility, while presenting a cohesive campus vision that connects new development with existing BCHD facilities and programs to enhance overall community benefit and accessibility. * Sunrise has extensive experience as both a developer and operator of senior communities and is a partner with BCHD on Sunrise Hermosa Beach. Sunrise is also working on a new facility in Manhattan Beach and has an established community presence and local experience.